NEW SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 VS S8 PLUS VS LG G6: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

LG new flagship smartphone, the LG G6 was announced at Mobile World Congress at the beginning of March, while Samsung waited until its separate Unpacked event at the end of March to announce its 2017 devices.

Despite LG going for a more innovative route in 2016 with its modular device, ultimately Samsung was the company with the more appealing devices. Is it the same story in 2017 though?

Here is how the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus compare to the LG G6.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 VS S8 PLUS VS LG G6: DESIGN

Premium metal and glass designs on all three

All waterproof with IP68 rating

All three about big screen, small body

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus both feature an all-screen front with very slim bezels, no physical home button and curved displays. The metal and glass sandwich remains intact with IP68 waterproofing, delivering a very premium build and stunning design that although similar to previous Galaxy S devices, push a few more boundaries.

The LG G6 ditches the modular design that arrived with 2016’s G5. Instead, its new flagship follows in Samsung’s footsteps with a metal core and glass front and rear, bringing IP68 waterproofing to the party. It has a lovely big screen but with a similar sized-body to the G5, measuring 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9mm and weighing 163g, meaning it is all about its screen like the Samsung devices.

The Galaxy S8 measures 148.9 x 68.1 x 8mm and weighs 155g, while the S8 Plus measures 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1mm and hits the scales at 173g. This means the S8 and G6 are almost identical in physical size, with the S8+ being that little bit taller and slightly wider.

The LG G6 retains its 3.5mm headphone jack, which Samsung also does and it keeps its rear-mounted fingerprint sensor too, another thing Samsung has done, though this is a new position for Samsung. The S8 and S8 Plus see the fingerprint sensor on the right of the camera lens, while LG’s is positioned in the centre below the camera. The S8 and S8 Plus also have iris scanning however, which the G6 does not.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 VS S8 PLUS VS LG G6: DISPLAY

S8 has 5.8-inch display, S8+ has 6.2-inch, both curved and Mobile HDR Premium

Quad HD+ resolution on S8 and S8+, AMOLED

G6 has 5.7-inch Quad HD+ LCD display with HDR

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch display, while the S8 Plus offers a 6.2-inch screen. Both have an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 and a resolution of 2960 x 1440, which delivers a pixel density of 570ppi and 529ppi respectively.

They are also both AMOLED, both Infinity Displays, which translates to dual-edged curved screens and they both have Mobile HDR Premium on board, certified by the Ultra HD Alliance.

The LG G6 on the other hand, has a 5.7-inch LCD display. It offers a 2880 x 1440 Quad HD+ resolution for a pixel density of 564ppi, along with an ultra wide aspect ratio of 18:9 and HDR with support for Dolby Vision and HDR 10.

The Samsung devices therefore both have larger screens than the LG G6, though only just when it comes to the S8. The Galaxy S8 is the sharpest of these three handsets on paper however, while the S8 Plus is the softest.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 VS S8 PLUS VS LG G6: CAMERA

Dual-rear camera on G6

S8 and S8+ have autofocus on front camera

G6 has 5MP front camera, S8 and S8+ have 8MP

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a 12-megapixel single lens rear Duo Pixel camera with a f/1.7 aperture like the S7, which means the results are likely to be as fantastic as they were with last year’s device. There is OIS and PDAF on board and Samsung has introduced multi-frame image processing, which means the camera takes three shots and combines the information for a more detailed final image.

In terms of the front camera, the S8 and S8+ both have an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with autofocus and there is an iris scanner on board too, as we mentioned. The rear camera on the S8 and S8+ also support a feature called Bixby Visual which allows you to scan things and receive information on them, as well as shopping options.

LG retained the dual-camera setup that worked so well on the G5, but increased the resolution resulting in two 13-megapixel sensors, one of which has a 125-degree wide angle lens. The front facing camera is 5-megapixel and although there is no iris scanner on board, it too has a wide-angle lens like the rear, only slightly narrower at 100-degrees.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 VS S8 PLUS VS LG G6: HARDWARE

S8+ has largest battery capacity, all three have USB Type-C

G6 has Qualcomm SD821 chip, S8 and S8+ have SD835 or Exynos 8895

All have microSD and 4GB RAM

The Samsung Galaxy S8 will come with either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip or the Exynos 8895 chipset, depending on region, as it did with the S7. There is 4GB of RAM on all models, along with 64GB internal storage and microSD support for storage expansion.

The LG G6 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chip, which we presume was to meet the earlier announcement. It has 4GB of RAM and a choice of 32GB or 64GB of storage, both of which have with microSD. The G6 offers a Quad DAC for improved audio, though it will only be available in certain countries.

The G6 has USB Type-C, which the Samsung S8 and S8+ also have and the G6 also has wireless charging, on US models, which is also a feature on the S8 and S8+ but worldwide. Samsung’s S8 arrives with a 3000mAh battery, the S8 Plus with a 3500mAh battery and LG’s G6 has a 3300mAh battery.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 VS S8 PLUS VS LG G6: SOFTWARE

All three Android Nougat with manufacturer specific skins

S8 and S8+ have Bixby

G6 offers Google Assistant

The LG G6 launches on Android Nougat with the company’s UX 6.0 software skin over the top, while the Samsung S8 and S8+ also launch on Android Nougat but with Samsung’s TouchWiz bloatware.

The LG G6 and Samsung devices will offer their own unique features and the user interface will be different but all will deliver good experiences. The Galaxy S8 has its own personal assistant Bixby on board, along with Google Assistant, while the LG G6 will also come with Google Assistant support.

The Samsung S8 and S8+ are also compatible with a new docking station called Samsung DeX, which will allow users to connect them to a monitor for a desktop view of Android. Once connected, users will be able to see apps, along with take calls and view messages.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 VS S8 PLUS VS LG G6: CONCLUSION

LG’s G6 has a much more premium build than the company’s previous generations, along with a larger display and higher resolution camera, as well as the software enhancements.

The Samsung S8 and S8+ offer the same though, a beautiful premium design that is different to its predecessors, larger display, camera improvements, software enhancements and hardware improvements.

The G6 is likely to be cheaper than the S8 and definitely the S8+, but which device is right for you will come down to budget, design preference and which interface and features appeal to you most. Ultimately, all three of these handsets have lovely premium designs, big screens and powerful hardware.